MAXWELL AFB, Ala. — Civil Air Patrol’s National Capital Wing is helping the Air Force test its new Visual Warning System (VWS) for pilots, a security measure set to become operational over the Washington, D.C. area on May 21.

The system signals pilots who fly into the D.C. area’s “no-fly” zones with low-level laser beams in an alternating red-red-green light sequence. Any pilots who receive the warning must immediately contact Air Traffic Control and fly their aircraft out of the no-fly zone.        

The ground-based Visual Warning System was developed by the U.S. Air Force North American Defense Command (NORAD), in coordination with the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and the Air Force Rapid Capabilities Office. The lasers are eye-safe and non-hazardous at all ranges.

CAP, the all-volunteer civilian auxiliary of the Air Force, is scheduled for missions on May 21. CAP will use its low and slow-flying aircraft to pose as intruders into the no-fly zones near the nation’s capital. Most of the aircraft in CAP’s single-engine fleet of 550 are single-engine Cessnas similar to the one that drifted into Washington’s no-fly zone Tuesday and spurred evacuations throughout the capital city.

“This week we saw exactly what can happen when a pilot flies into an unauthorized zone in the D.C. area,” said Maj. Gen. Dwight Wheless, CAP national commander. “Any such intrusion not only is a safety issue, but is also disruptive for thousands of people who live and work in the nation’s capital. This new Visual Warning System will give pilots immediate feedback when they are straying into a no-fly zone, and will be a valuable new tool in our country’s homeland defense program.”

CAP has been working with 1st Air Force for several years, and signed an official Memorandum of Understanding in October 2004. Under the agreement, 1st Air Force considers the use of CAP air and ground capabilities as an option for any of its non-combat missions.

“Our volunteer members are proud to be a resource for 1st Air Force, NORAD and U.S. Northern Command,” Wheless said. “It’s a privilege to assist in the testing and deployment of NORAD’s new Visual Warning System, knowing we’re making a positive impact on security for the nation’s capital.

Civil Air Patrol, the official auxiliary of the U.S. Air Force, is a nonprofit organization with almost 60,000 members nationwide. CAP performs 95 percent of continental U.S. inland search and rescue missions as tasked by the Air Force Rescue Coordination Center. Its volunteers also perform homeland security, disaster relief and counterdrug missions at the request of federal, state and local agencies. The members take a leading role in aerospace education and serve as mentors to the almost 25,000 young people currently participating in CAP cadet programs. CAP has been performing missions for America for more than 60 years.